A few people call me crazy...some wish they had the time/energy to spend as much time in the kitchen as I do and others are clueless. To each their own, I don't judge others on how they do things and I expect the same respect back. Easier said than lived of course!
Do I usually cringe when I see one of my kids eating goldfish, cheez-it's, or other processed food? I ABSOLUTELY do but for many different reasons. I know it's not good for them, but they barely eat anything like that so I try not to make a big deal about it. When I think of the effort, time and commitment I put in every day to what my family eats it is a HUGE deal. It's personal for me, what my kids eat, VERY personal. I can handle the eye rolls from other mom's, I can deal with the silly comments, but I try my best not to make it an issue in front of my boys. I don't want them to feel different, but honestly they are. The saying "you are what you eat" holds true in our home.
I'm proud of the fact that I pointed to a McDonald's sign and asked my 4 year old what it was and his response was "a big yellow M." He then asked if it was for Maddox...innocent and adorable. I will keep that for as long as possible. I know my days are going to be limited and with more field trips and adventures they will be exposed to it. I do, however, hope I can teach them to make smart choices when it comes to food.
Maddox (4) has such a limited interest in food...he dislikes any/all vegetables, will eat 4 or 5 things for dinner and loves snacks, chocolate, ice cream, etc. A boy after my own heart...I would skip dinner for dessert any day of the week. I try my hardest every day to make sure his diet is as nutrient rich as possible...it's a challenge. If it means adding sweet potato puree into the pancakes then so be it. I've added carrots into brownies, cauliflower into "cheese and chips," as well as pumpkin into muffins/waffles/etc. I've found as long as I add a few dark chocolate chips...the rest usually slides by! Maddox has SPD, he had a speech delay and went thru Early Intervention. After all the reading I've done about SPD I learned that removing gluten (and dairy) can help with some of the struggles kids might go thru. I've seen the changes Maddox has gone thru since removing gluten and it's worth all of the extra time I spend in the kitchen.
Brexton (2) is my amazing eater. He enjoys vegetables, pasta, any type of fruit, celery, broccoli, anything and everything. He is also my gluten intolerant guy...he grabs his tummy and says "mamma ow" after having a piece of regular pizza. How do you argue with that? You don't. When he was a month old I went to the chiropractor to find out what was going on with him (he was constantly uncomfortable and vomiting thru his nose). The chiropractor did some tests and advised me to remove gluten and dairy from my diet (I was breast feeding). Within days the vomiting from his nose stopped and he was a much happier, and comfortable, baby. What mother wouldn't make those changes for their baby?
Why stop as they get older?
Growing up I remember lots of fruit in the house, standard staples...apples, grapes, oranges, etc. I also remember lots of chips, doritos, box mixes and sugary cereals. My mother had good meals for us and we didn't make a habit of going to fast food chains...luckily I have never been a big fan of them (except for Wendy's Fries and Frosty's, something about the salty and sweet combination) but to a lot of families they are considered a "staple" or normal meal. That saddens me.
We, meaning those like myself, are the minority. Most people have no idea what a GMO is, Monsanto, or the dangers behind artificial sweeteners. I'm most likely not going to reach a lot of people but I want to make sure those that decide to read my blog will walk away with some knowledge on a topic I think is extremely important. For not only my generation (30 somethings) and our health but the health of our children and the generations that follow. Personally I believe we owe our children that much.
Every recipe you will find on this blog will be as organic as possible, nothing with preservatives or artificial sweeteners, gluten free, and be made as healthy as possible...while still tasting good. When I have the ability I will also include substitutions to make the recipe dairy free as well. I've thought about switching to dairy free but for right now it's a task that I can't undertake...kudos to those of you that do. It's inspiring to me, maybe one day...but not any day soon.
Live, Laugh, Love, Healthy & Happy
~BakingMamma
I'm so glad you started this blog, sharing your recipes and feelings. Honestly I feel the exact same way. As my older 2 are in school, it is a lot harder. They come home indulging in a treat once a week (someone's birthday, etc). I am so fondly known as the sugar nazi in my home. If it were up to me, we'd eat clean, from scratch items 90% of the time. I have learned to lead purely by example. I make their favorite meals (often with hidden veggies--which Kyler know asks before tasting most everything "any spinach in here?!") and treats, as I sit and feast on my giant plate of veggies and fruits. Ari has followed suit and prefers to eat off of my plate.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thank you for sharing these delicious recipes. And further more, for making me see I am not so alone in the mother category of extremely healthy cooking/eating. We truly are what we eat, afterall. A mother's job is to protect our children. I think cooking healthy is one of the best protections we can offer.
Thanks Jen! As always love your kind words :)
DeleteYou aren't alone...I just wish there were MORE people that felt the way we do.